Cleaning Linear rails and bearing blocks

[mlabruyere]

Hellow again folks....I have another question.

I just received my first set of linear rails and bearing blocks. It's a Rexroth Linear Motion system (eBay find). They were removed from a working system and were only wiped clean. There is a lot of great and gunk all around the blocks.

Can I removed the blocks from the rails without letting the bearings loose?

Should I use a solvent to clean them or something line WD40?

If I can remove the blocks should I soak them in cleaner and then what do I grease them with?

I've tried to "Google" this but I am obviously looking up incorrect terms or something....

[Benonymous]

I had the same reservations about removing the blocks from the rails.

I expected a cascade of ball bearings.

Fear not, they will just slide right off. WD40 will be fine to clean them up. If they have scrapers on them, they should be OK internally. You can degrease the rails and go over them with scotchbrite or something else that'll just buff them up a bit. Pay special attention to the grooves that the ball bearings run in, they are top and underside of the rail (you'll figure it out). You might find the blocks feel a little stiff and baulky going back on to the rails, just ease them back and forth until you've got them all the way on, a bit of WD40 helps too.

Good luck

[hemsworthlad]

Hi,

Like Ben says it's usually ok and they stay in place but Use a slight bit of caution because the balls can come out on some rails esp if worn, but that said its no big deal and it's easy stripping the blocks down to clean them. Just take the end plates off and all the balls will come out the guide plates etc all come out and allow easy cleaning of the blocks.

[mlabruyere]

Thanks guys for the quick response.....man I searched the Internet and had a hard time finsing anything on the subject...

[mlabruyere]

I pulled the first block off the rail and.......nothing happened..... All the balls stayed in their tracks.

I cleaned them up and the scrapers and seals are all in good shape....they were covered with big globs of grease and grime but they are all nice and clean now.

OK.... so now they are squeaky clean....moving metal on metal parts don't like to be sqeaky clean.....what kind of greas should I pack into the bearings before I put them back on the rails?